Planetary speed reducer and power actuated hinge device



Nov. 14, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May l. 1959 N m m... Hl .n Rm @Y M, Th TW ma u w M u Vm H -F s -D .Er E E WN A m s M Y i B www, m h mm. l Nm. @Mm Rm. Ill M. H N\\ b NN\ W\Nw Y www Sv i l ,E n NN ww Q EN s s mw S Awww Nw TW i I wir D. GRUDIN 3,008,355

PLANETARY SPEED REDUCER AND POWER ACTUATED HINGE DEVICE Nov. 14, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May l. 1959 INVENTOR DANIEL ERLIDIN 5% 6%@ A oRNEY Nov. 14, 1961 D, GRUD|N 3,008,355

PLANETARY SPEED REDUCER AND POWER ACTUATED HINGE DEVICE Filed May l. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR DANIEL EFILIDIN 5%@ ATT RNEY D. GRUDIN Nov. 14, 1961 PLANETARY SPEED REDUCER AND POWER ACTUATED HINGE DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May l. 1959 INVENTOR DANIEL ERLIDIN BY 6%@ AT ORNEY United States Patent O 3,008,355 PLANETARY SPEED REDUCER AND POWER ACTUATED HINGE DEVICE Daniel Grudin, Rockaway, NJ., assignor to Curtiss- Wright Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 1, 1959, Ser. No. 810,339 12 Claims. (Cl. 74-801) This invention relates to power driven hinge devices and to rotary or oscillatory actuators. The invention, in certain respects provides modifications in the invention covered by co-pending patent application Serial No. 782,537, iiled December 23, 1958, now Patent No. 2,966,808.

Generally, the invention includes a plurality of coaxial annular members which are piloted and secured relative to one another on bearings. Alternate annular members are secured together so that one set of members is movable in unison relative to the other set of members. The invention further provides power driving means wholly disposed within the annular members to enable driving of one set of members relative to the other.

The referred to co-pending application discloses the broad aspect of the invention above mentioned, and also, certain sorts of internal actuating mechanism. In this invention, an alternative form of actuating mechanism is provided which enables the construction of a power actuated hinge device having very great torque capacity, the gearing being so arranged that it operates at high efficiency, utilizes a minimum number of parts, and is so constructed as to provide a light weight overall structure.

Objects of the invention are to provide a self-contained power actuated hinge device assembly capable of moving heavy loads; y

To provide a gear drive arrangement which is simple in construction and which -is so arranged as to omit a considerable number of parts which might otherwise be deemed necessary;

To provide a primary gearing arrangement in which planet gearing is self centering and mutually self supporting;

To provide a compact two-stage compound planetary gear set having novel features of arrangement and construction.

One embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the annexed drawings. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a power actuated hinge device embodying novel gearing,

FIG. 2 is a plan of the power actuated hinge device,

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of FIG. l,

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1.

As will be seen most clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are two similar annular members which are spaced apart and comprise internal gears noted at 12. Between the two members 10 is a member 14 having two sets of identical internal gear teeth comprising internal gears -16. Between the two sets of teeth 16 is an inwardly` extending annular partition 18 having an internal gear 20 .formed at its bore. At the ends of the members 10, annular members 22 are disposed which are formed with internal gear teeth which comprise gears 24. The internal gears 12 are identical to one another, and the internal gears 16 and 24 are identical with one another but are provided with a number of teeth slightly diierent from the number of teeth in the gears 12. The members 22 and 14 are journalled upon one another in sequence, preferably by antifriction bearings 26 so that all members are constrained to concentricity and to mutual support one by the other. As noted in FIG. 2, the left end member 22 is secured to the left end of member 14 as by bolts 28 which bridge member 10. In similar fashion, the right end member 22 is secured to the right end of member 14 by bolts 28 which bridge the `right member 10.

The members 22 and 14 are furnished with ears 30 to be secured through multiple shear connections with appropriate structure, not shown. In like fashion, the members 10 are provided with ears 32 to be secured in multiple shear to a second support structure, the two support structures thus being attached to one another for hinging movement by the assembly shown, the movement between the support members taking place about the axes of the several coaxial members 10, 14 and 22 by virtue of the bearings 26. These bearings support the load on the supports.

The gearing arrangements within the annular members include two stages of compound planetary gearing, one being an input stage and the other being an output stage. The output stage comprises two similar gear sets, to the right and left respectively of the central partition 18. The elements of the two gear sets carry similar reference characters. The output gearing includes a plurality of planet members 34, `each including a central pinion 36 meshed with the gear 12 and two similar end pinions 38, onermeshed with the internal gear 24 and the other with the internal gear 16. These pinions 36 and 38 are formed with different numbers of teeth and are designed to mesh perfectly, of course, with the internal gears with which they are associated. A large number of these planet members 34 are disposed within the annular members, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this large number of planet members, through their teeth which are engaged with the internal gears, providing a large number of load points to enable the sustension of heavy torque loads between the two sets of annular members 22, 14, 22 and 10, 10. The gears 38 on each planetary member 34 are symmetrically arranged at either end of the planet pinion 36 so that the loading of each planetary member is balanced-that is, a torsional load imposed on the member 10 will be divided and reacted against, in equal fashion, by the annular members 22 and 14.

Load reaction betweenA members 22, 14, 22 and 10, 10, is wholly assumed by the planetary members. Turning between the annular members is enforced by rotating the planetary members relative to the annular members, because of the differential numbers of teeth in the sets of gears.

It will be noted that the pinions 38 and 36 are slightly separated from one another by grooves 40. The bottoms of these grooves provide races for rings 42, these rings being disposed Within the array of planetary members, each ring engaging a groove of all of the planetary members. Thus, the radial force which is required to hold the gear teeth of the planetary members in contact with the teeth of the internal gears is provided by the rings 42. Since the radial force for all planetary members is the same and acts more or Vless radially inwardly, the rings 42 enable the support of all planetary members against one another and obviate the need for caging the planetary members or for providing any other significant bearing support for them. In operation, as the planetary members roll within the annular members, the rings 42 roll with them whereby there is only rolling engagement with no sliding or bearing engagement between the rims of rings 42 and the surfaces of grooves 40.

Primarily for expeditious `assembly of the planetary member arrays, each planetary member is provided with a light pilot shaft y44 upon which its planetary member is loosely journalled through bearings 46, the shafts 44 in turn bein-g secured in light floating cages 48. Bolts 50 secu-re the cages 48 to one another and thus hold the planetary members in their approximately correct loca- 3 Y tions. They true correct locations of the vplanet-ary meme bers 34 are established by tooth mesh and by the support afforded by` ringsfll.v Cages 48 further serve to locate the planetary members 34 axially, through their contact withl the partition IS and with end? plates Si secured to the ends of annular members 22.

By minor redesign of the assembly the cages 48 and shafts 44 may be Wholly eliminated; the invention includes the concept that 'the planetary members 34 along withthe rings 42, are self-supporting in operation with no needV for additional supporting or caging mechanism.

The two sets of planetary 'members 34 are driven simultaneously by two externally toothed gears 54 which are located concentrically within the assembly. One of theseY gears engages one set of planet pinions 36 and the other engages the other sets of planet pinions 36.l

Alternatively the gears 54 may drivably engage the inne-r just-ment of gear size, to insert as many as twenty planemost pinions 38, closest to the partition 18, with no` change in function ofthe arrangement. VThe gears 54 are also formed Vwith internal teeth to provide internal gears 56. The number of teeth in the gears 56 is made slightly different from the number of teeth in the xed gear of the web 18. These gears 56, 20, 56 are bridgedY by a plurality of compound planets 58 which lie wit-hin the assembly. Planets S8 include pinions 60 engaged with internal gears 56, and a pinion 62 engaged with internal gear'20. The planets 58 are driven by a concentric sun pinion 64 secured to or forming part o-fv a high speedI input drive shaft 66 which extends axially through the entire assembly. This shaft 66 is carried in bearings 68- secured in the end plates 51. The planets 58 may be minimum in number, preferably three, for balanced loading, since they constitute lpart of the high speed. low torque stage -of the two-stage gearing.

As the planets 58 are driven by the pinion 64, the internal gears 56 are driven ata modera-te speed with respect' to the fixed gear 2), the gears 54, 56 then driving thev planetaryV members of the low speed high torque stage of the gearing. Rotation of the planetary members 34, as previously pointed out, causes low speed rotation between the members 10, 10 and 22, 14, 22 Whereby high torque low speed relative motion of these members is afforded.

The planets 58 are caged, preferably by end plates 72 secured ,to one another by bolts 74. Endplates 72gare connected to the planets 58 through bearings 76.V 'VI-abs 78 secured to the end plates 72 engage grooves 80 formed onA portions of gears` 54, 56 to provide definite axial location of these gears relative to the planets and cages. TheA planets 58 and their cages require no pilot bearings concentric with Ithe assembly since the external loads imposed on them by gears 56, 20 and 56 are reacted by the engagement of pinion 62 with 64, in a balanced manner. Further, the subassembly of the first stage gearing is held in concentric 'relation to the overall assembly v-at all times by the established concentric relation of the second stage gearing.

TheV high speed input shaft 66 of the assembly may be driven in any suitable manner by an external power source or, if desired, an electric motor or the like mightl be embraced within the assembly whereby the entire assembly is a unitary high gain power actuated hinge device.

The speed reduction ratios of the overall assembly may be established readily by the application of conventional compoundV planetary gearing design techniques. Ordinarily, when low speed high torque eiort is required between Athe stacked output annular members, there would be a one-tooth dilerential between gears of members 22,

14, 22 and 10, I0; also between pinions 36 and- 38;y alsov between gears 56, 56 and 20; also between. pinions 60 and 62. The number of planetary members 34 may beV Y modied as desired laccording to torque load requirements. While nil-ne suchplanetary memberslare shown in the present embodiment, `it isperfectlysfeasible, by'ad-` tary members whereby the torsional capacity of the assembly may be greatly increased.

|It is also feasible in practising this invention, should a low gain system be desired, to omitv the firstL stage planetary gearing and to drive Vthe second stage pinions, such as 36, 38 through gears directly connected to the input shaft 66.

The disposition and number of ii'oating rings 42, which hold planetary members 3'4 intheir proper engaged relation with the internally geared annular members 10', 14 and 22, may be variedl according to design requirements. In any' event, the use -of floating rings '42' greatly increases the design flexibility of a power ac- Y changes' andi' modifications may be made in the structure shown and described Withoutv departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A gear mechanism comprising coaxial ring gears, which are relatively rotatabley and have different numbers of teeth, a plurality of planet members spaced circumferentially therewithin, eachV having a pinion meshed with the teeth of each ring gear, said `members each having a cylindrical smooth portion between their pinions no greater in diameter thanl the pinion root diameter, a rotationally free annular member within said gears havingrits rim engaged with .the smooth portions of said: members, and means within the space dened by said gears and members to drive' said members rot-ationally.

members within said gears and spaced therearound, said4 membersfcomprising outer pinions-meshed with the other gears,y an. inner pinion meshed vwith inner gear, and smooth cylindrical portions between 'said pinions no greater in diameter than the pinion root diameter, said portions and; pinions of each member being. coaxial with one another, rotationally free annular members within said planet members having their rims engaged with said cylindrical portions to hold said members outwardly andtheir pinions in engagement with their gears, andmeans engaging a pinion of each planet member to drive said planet members rotationally land thus enforce rotation of said inner gear relative to said outer gea-r.

3. A mechanism according to claim Z, wherein said mea-neto drive said planet members comprises an external gear engaging the inner runs -of certain of said pinions, and planetary gear means driving said external gear.

4. Mechanism according to claim 1 including annular antifriction Vbearing means between the ringI gears.

k5..M'echanism according to` claim 2' including annular antifriction bearing between' said inner ring gear and each of the outer internal gears.

6. Mechanism according 'to claim l including a cage' interconnecting and locating said planetmembers and rings for assembly purposes.

7`. Mechanism according to claim 2 including a' cage interconnecting and locating said` planet members and rings for assembly purposes.

.8'. A driving mechanism comprising an annular member, aplural'ity of planetary members spaced circumferentially therewithinfhaving their outer runs in driving engagement with' the inner surface of the annular member, aI rotationally'free ring within said planetary members, concentric with said annular member, having' its outer rim in engagement with inner portions of said planetary members and to in. .driving enga-gemenwith vsaid annular members and 5 means for driving the said planetary members rctationally.

9. A mechanism accord to claim 8 wherein said annuiar member is provided with internal teeth, wherein portions of said pl. ietary members are provided with teeth engaging the annular member teeth.

l0. A mechanism comprising at least two coaxial annular members of slightly dilerent eective internal diameter, means securinfy said members in coaxial relation for relative rotation, a plurality of planetary members spaced circumferentially Within said annular members, eacb planetary member having portions of different eective diameter, one such portion drivab-ly engaging tbe inner surface of one annular member, a second such portion drivably engaging tbe inner surface of the other annuiar member, and a smc-oth tnird such portion of less diameter than the other` porti-sns, a freely rotatable circular elem-ent Within said planetary members and engaging inner runs of all of them at said third portions to hold said planetary members outwardly in driving engagement with said annular members, and means to drive saidplanetary members in unison.

11. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein each annular member is provided with internal teeth, the tooth numbers of the members being slightly different, and

6 wherein said first two planetary member portions are toothed in correspondence with the teeth of the annular members with which they are engaged.

12. A mechanism according to claim l0 wherein said annular members exceed two in number and are in alternately stacked relation, and including a plurality of cir cular elements, each annular member being engaged by a portion of a planetary member and each planetary member being engaged by a circular element.

References iCited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 526,887 Altbam Oct. 2, 1894 1,502,107 McCollum July 22, 1924 2,357,561 Tatlow Sept. 5, 1944 2,469,905 Tatlow May l0, 1949 2,690,685 Donandt Oct. 5, 1954 2,851,995 `Clark Sept. 16, 1958 2,944,444 Burns July 12, 1960 2,966,808 rudin Jau. 3, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,027,799 France AFeb. 18, 1953 

